A tense standoff occurred between police, anti-illegal immigration activists, and foreign nationals at the Home Affairs Durban Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road. About a thousand foreign nationals were chased away from the offices by a group of people carrying sticks and sjamboks on Wednesday. The foreign nationals had arrived to apply for asylum seeker permits and other related immigration matters.
The Department of Home Affairs recently issued a directive to its offices for all foreign nationals to make an application for asylum, regardless of whether they are in the country legally. This followed a Constitutional Court ruling that found it was unconstitutional for Home Affairs to prevent foreign nationals from making asylum applications due to their legal status in the country. Since the directive, thousands of foreign nationals have been arriving at the offices.
Leader of Insizwa Nobunsizwa Development Foundation group Nkosikhona "Phakelumthakathi" Ndabandaba stated that the demonstrators would not allow foreign nationals to access the Home Affairs offices. Ndabandaba said, “We said to them they must stop this thing today and they must take them to the drive-in like where they kept the Malawians and any work that needs to be done, they need to do it there because here, there is a community here, there are people who want to go to the shops and they are scared.”
The demonstrators vowed to return to the Home Affairs offices if foreign nationals are present. The anti-illegal immigration groups have been disrupting operations at the centre, causing a backlog in asylum applications. The situation remains volatile, with tensions running high between the anti-illegal immigration groups, foreign nationals, and law enforcement.
The disruptions have raised concerns about the impact on the processing of asylum applications and the rights of foreign nationals. The Department of Home Affairs has not commented on the disruptions, but a spokesperson previously stated that the department is working to address the backlog in asylum applications.
The Constitutional Court ruling has led to an increase in asylum applications, with thousands of foreign nationals arriving at the Home Affairs offices. The ruling found that it was unconstitutional for Home Affairs to prevent foreign nationals from making asylum applications due to their legal status in the country.
The situation at the Home Affairs Durban Refugee Reception Centre remains uncertain, with anti-illegal immigration groups vowing to continue disrupting operations. The disruptions have caused concern among human rights groups and the community, who fear for the safety and well-being of foreign nationals.
Key points
- Anti-illegal immigration groups vow to continue disrupting operations at Home Affairs Durban Refugee Reception Centre offices.
- A Constitutional Court ruling led to an increase in asylum applications from foreign nationals.
- The disruptions have raised concerns about the impact on the processing of asylum applications and the rights of foreign nationals.
